Booker Admits Role in $2.1M Tax Refund Scam

MIAMI, FL – Crystal Booker, 31, of Miami-Dade County, has confessed to her part in a brazen scheme to steal over $2.1 million in fraudulent income tax refunds, the Department of Justice announced today. Booker pled guilty to one count of filing a false claim with the IRS, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 287. She faces a maximum of five years behind bars when sentenced on September 5, 2014.

The scam, orchestrated with 32-year-old Orlando Cairo, involved the systematic theft of names, Social Security numbers, and other sensitive personal data. This information was then weaponized to file bogus tax returns with the IRS, claiming inflated withholdings and fabricated income reported on fraudulent W2-G forms – falsely indicating large gambling winnings from the Florida Lottery Commission. The goal? To siphon off massive refunds.

Booker’s role was critical in laundering the stolen funds. Court documents reveal she opened approximately eighteen separate bank accounts across Broward and Miami-Dade counties. These accounts served as collection points for the fraudulent refunds issued by the IRS. Cairo specifically directed 378 of the fraudulent returns to deposit refunds into accounts Booker had established, totaling a staggering $2,128,841 in attempted theft.

The pair didn’t stop at large-scale fraud. They also submitted a single, fraudulent return claiming a $7,064 refund, which was successfully deposited into one of Booker’s accounts – a brazen act that solidified the evidence against them. This direct deposit, coupled with the network of accounts, painted a clear picture of their coordinated criminal enterprise.

Cairo was already sentenced on May 14, 2014, to 120 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $277,133.58 in restitution. He pled guilty to one count of wire fraud (Title 18, U.S.C. Section 1343) and one count of aggravated identity theft (Title 18, U.S.C. Section 1028A). Booker’s sentencing will likely add to the growing list of convictions in this case.

U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer commended the relentless work of the IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertha R. Mitrani is prosecuting the case. This investigation underscores the ongoing federal effort to combat tax fraud and identity theft, sending a clear message that such schemes will not be tolerated. Further information can be found at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls, http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov, or http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.